Gate.



No. 656,277. v Patented Aug. 2|, I900.

w. A-. WHITGOMB.

G A T E (Application filed May 1, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

1%.. WASEHNGTO No. 656,277. Patented Aug. 2|, I900.

W. A.'WH|TCOMB.

GATE.

(Application filed may 1, 1899.) We Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m5 Nuims PETERS 20.. vuorcxu'moq wAsmNmcm'n. c.

NITED STATES ATENT FFIQE.

WILLIAM A. IVHITCOMB, OF DOWNS, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letterslatent N 0. 656,277, dated August 21 1900. Application filed May 1, 1899. Serial No. 715,120. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM A. WHITCOMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Downs, in the countyof McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of gates such, for instance, as shown in my United States Patent No. 607, 721,issued July 9 1808- in which the gate is swung to and fro by a pair of levers whose inner ends are connected together and also connected to the gate and to the latch-lifting mechanism,so that by a downward pull on the lever at either side of the gate the latch will be withdrawn or raised and the gate opened, while it may be again closed after driving through by a downward pull on the lever on the other side.

One of the objects of my invention is to have both levers supported on fixed fulcrums, and at the same time hinge their contiguous ends together by a positive connection whereby the motion of one will be effectively imparted to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for accelerating the movement of the gate by its own weight.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a perspective of a gate provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion thereof, showing the gate closed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the gate and its supporting-post, showing the gate partly open. Fig. 4 is a detail plan section of the supporting-post of the gate and the part of the gate hinged thereto, showing the means for causing the weight of the gate to accelerate its movement. Fig. 5 is asimilar view showing the gate half 'op'en.- Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the contiguous ends of the levers, showing them in their upper position. Fig.

7 is a similar View showing them in their lower position. Fig. 8 is a plan View thereof.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation looking toward the edge of the gate closed, showing a different and preferred form of construction. Fig. 10 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 11 11,- Fig. 9; and Fig. 12 isa similar section taken on the line 12 12, Fig. 9.

1 2 represent the ordinary gate-posts, the latter being the post to which the gate is hinged and the former carrying the stationary latch member, as heretofore. The lower side of the gate is hinged to the post 2 by means of a hinge member or eye 3, which is impaled on a vertically-elongatedrod 4, passing downwardly through two eye-screws 5 6, thus permitting of considerable vertical movement of the gate, if necessary. The upper corner of the gate is provided with a plate 7, having a longitndinally-elongated slot 8, through which passes an u pwardly-extending hook 9, secured to the post 2, thus constituting the upper hinge. Secured to the post 2 to one side of the hinge member or hook 9 is an eyebolt 10, in which is engaged a downwardly-extending hook 11, formed on a rod 12, whose other end is attached to the gate, preferably by means of an eyebolt 13, through which the rod passes and against which the rod takes its abutment by means of a nut 14 screwed on the rod, as clearly shown. The arrangement of the eyebolt 13, the eye 10, and the hook 9 is such that they will respectively constitute the corners of a' triangle when viewed from the top or in plan, as in Fig. 4, and inasmuch as the distance from the bolt 13 to the hook 9 and thence to the eye 10 is greater than the direct distance between the bolt 13 and the eye 10 it follows that when the gate is moved in a direction to cause the rod 12 to approach the hook 9 its forward or free end will be raised, the lower hinged corner tilting on its hinge member 3 and the slot 8 in the hinge-plate 7 permitting the upper corner of the gate to approach the post 2. Consequently as soon as the rod 12 passes out of direct line with the hook 9 the weight of the gate will tend to'accelerate its movement in the direction toward that side of the hook 9 on which the rod 12 may be situated. The rod 12 is usually in direct line way open, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and consequently if pushed a little in either direction its own weight will continue its movement in the same direction.

In order that the gate may be raised so as to swing above the snow-level, the rod or hinge member 4 is vertically elongated and the hook 9 and eye 10 are duplicated, as shown at 9 10, at a higher point on the post 2.

15 represents the pivoted latch, to which is secured a pull-bar 16, whose rear end is attached to a jointed lever 17, having an operating-rod 18, as shown and described in my former patent, and which rod is attached to one of the hand operating-levers 19 20. The lever 19 is provided with a fixed fulcrum 21 in suitable extensions 22, projecting from the top of the post 2, while the lever 20 is similarly fulcrumed in extensions 23 on the top of a companion post 24, connected to the post 2.by brace 25. These levers 19 20 project to both sides of the gate in the well-known manner, and when in their normal positionthat is, when the gate is closed-their inner ends are depressed, so that a downward pull on either lever will open the gate and a downward pull will close it.

In order that the mechanism which attaches the levers to the gate may not necessarily be duplicated, it is desirable to connect the ends of the levers together by means which will hold them with the requisite degree of rigidity and will impart the movement of one to the other. To this end I connect their contiguous ends together by means of a link 26, which is preferably in the form of a clevis or is U-shaped, passing over the top of one of the levers, as better shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and having pivotal connection at 27 and 28 with the two levers, respectively. In order that the ends of the levers may be brought close together and the pivots 27 may have a sufficient hold in the material, the ends are mortised, as shown better in Figs. 6 and 7.

In Fig. 1 I have shown operating-levers guided and supported by the two bars having inclined strips 29 30, but in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, substantially the same result is shown effected by a simpler form of construction. The intermediate post, which is shown at 31 and to the upper end of which crossbar 25 is usually secured, is carried upwardly above the cross-bar 25, so as to form a guide extension 31, which holds the lever 19 against side deflection in one direction. In order that the post 31 may be secured to the cross-bar 25 and at the same time be in a position slightly to the rear of the lever 19, I interpose a block 32 between the bar 25 and post 31. The inner end of the lever 19 is pivotally connected to the companion lever 20 by means of the links or clevis 26, before described with reference to the other form, and the lever 20 is held against side deflection in the opposite direction to that from which the lever 19 is held by means of a guide-bar 33, which is secured at its lower end to the post 24: and near its upper end to the cross-bar- 25, it being provided with an extension above the cross-bar 25 of suflicient length to project across the lever 20 throughout the latters entire oscillation, and by being connected in this manner to the post 20 and brace 25 and arranged on an incline it also serves as a brace for said post and cross-brace 25. In

' order that the guide 33 may have room between the cross-brace 25 and lever 20, the '1evers are deflected slightly out of line at their inner ends, as shown in Fig. 10. In this form of the invention the fulcrum-arms 22 23 are braced at their upper ends by bars 22 23, respectively, attached to the posts 2 24;.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination with a gate, of two pivoted operating-levers having their ends abutting together and interlapped, means operatively connecting said levers with the gate and a link pivotally connecting the ends of said levers together,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a gate,a post to which said gate is hinged at its lower side with capability of vertical movement, a hinge member carried by the upper side of the gate, a plurality of hinge members secured to the post and with either of which said hinge memher on the upper side of the gate is adapted to engage, a rod attached at one end to the gate, and a plurality of devices secured to the post one above the other eccentric to the center of oscillation of the gate and either of which is adapted to be attached to the other end of said rod, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a gate,a post to which said gate is hinged, a leverpost, two levers fulcrumed on said posts respectively and having their inner ends operatively connected together, an intermediate post between said first two posts, having a guide extension risin g past one of said levers on one side,a guidebar rising past the other of said levers on the opposite side and an operative connection between said levers and gate, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination ofagate,apost to which said gate is hinged, a lever-post, two levers fulcrumed on said posts respectively and oscillating in planes at an angle to each other and having their inner ends operatively connected together, a bar 25 supported on said lever-post, a guide secured to said lever-post and bar 25 and projecting across one side of one of said levers, a guide on the other side of the other of said levers, and an operative connection between said levers and gate, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a gate,a post to which said gate is hinged, a lever-post, two levers fulcrumed on said posts respectively, a crossbrace connecting said posts together, an intermediate post secured to said cross-brace and having an upwardly-projecting, guide ex tension arranged out of line with said first two posts and bearing against one of said lc-' tween said levers and gate, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM A. WHITCOMB.

Witnesses:

AGNES D. WHITooMB, ED. L. WEAVER. 

